Down the Security Rabbithole Podcast (DtSR) DtSR Episode 689 - Off the Rails - Social Media is Evil
Jan 20, 2026
Kevin Thompson, a product management leader at a major AI platform and a seasoned Scoutmaster, joins the discussion on the dark side of social media. He warns how these platforms can harm kids, radicalize communities, and limit meaningful discourse. The conversation dives into age restrictions, algorithm-induced extremism, and the challenge of fostering resilience in youth. Thompson reflects on the need for parental guidance in navigating online harms and offers a hopeful perspective on generational adaptability amid technological shifts.
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Require Real Age Verification
- Enforce age verification and limits rather than trusting self-reported ages to protect kids.
- Kevin Thompson supports policies like Australia's under-16 restriction with technical age checks.
Amplification Means Mistakes Never Disappear
- Social media permanently amplifies mistakes and never forgets them for kids and adults alike.
- Rafal Los warns that this persistent amplification increases risk of severe harm to young people.
Experiment: New Account Radicalized Fast
- Rafal Los created a fresh account as a pre-teen and watched algorithms radicalize the feed within minutes.
- He used this experiment to show how fast platforms steer users into extreme content.